Trowel



P. L. FERGUSGN.

TROWEL.

LED A Patented Feb. 17, 1920.

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Pefer. L

PETER L. FERGUSON, OF SPARKS, NEVADA.

TROWEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 17, 1920.

Application filed August 20. 1918. Serial No. 250,694.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER L. FERGUSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Sparks, in the county of VVashoe and State of Nevada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trowels, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in trowels, and has for its object to provide a device of the character specified, especially adapted for making plaster cornices or moldings on the walls and ceiling of a room.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the improved trowel;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the trowel;

Fig. 3 is a side view of the blade;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the blade, showing one form of top; and

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing another form.

In the present embodiment of the invention a body portion is provided, consisting of two similar sections, each of which is an open right triangular frame, each frame having a hypotenuse 1 and two sides 2 and 3 which extend at a right angle with respect to each other.

Each side 3 is extended beyond its connection with the side 2 as indicated at 4c, and each of the said sides 3 is approximately .Z shaped in cross section, having at each edge a flange 5 and 6, respectively, the flanges extending at right angles to the body portion of the side, and in opposite directions, and these flanges are formed by doubling or folding the material upon itself.

Each side 2 has a handle 7 for convenience in manipulating the trowel and the sides are connected to a blade 8. This blade has near its lower edge substantially H-shaped slots 9, and these slots register with similarly shaped slots 10 in the sides 2, and screw bolts 11 are passed through the registering and connected by double nuts 15. The connection with the blade is made by means of a screw bolt 16, and the connection with the flanges 5 is by means of a rivet or the like. By means of the turn buckles the blades and frame sections may be trued with respectto each other.

In operation, when it is desired to use the trowel, guide strips (not shown) are secured to the walls in horizontal position such that when the outwardly extending flange 5 rests upon the top of the guide the top of the blade will engage the ceiling. The outer face of the side wall 3 which is being used moves in contact with the outer face of the guide strip, and the handles 4C are graspedto move the trowel along the wall and coiling forming the cornice or molding.

The top of the blade is provided with a nib or extension, which may be square as shown in Fig. 4, and detachable. In the detachable form, the blade 8 has an opening at its top, and the extension is composed of two right triangular open frame sections 18. These frame sections have openings in their hypotenuse side which register with the opening of the blade, and a screw bolt 19 engages the registering openings, to detachably connect the frame sections in place.

In the construction of Fig. 5, the frame sections 20 are semi-circular, and the opening for the screw bolt 21 is in the straight side of the section. The elements 18 and 20 are used where moldings or cornices project from the ceiling as well as the wall, that is, when they are run in the angles formed by the ceiling and wall. To run such moldings as these, it is necessary to use the round nib 20 fastened at the top of the plate to guide the trowel, as, for instance, when the trowel is placed in position to run such cornices the body portion is raised on the guide strip which is fastened to the wall. Then the trowel is pushed into the angle until the round nib abuts the ceiling or a straight edge formed on the ceiling at the top. Now when the trowel is held in the angle until the nib abuts against the ceiling and rests on the guide strip. it will be noted that the trowel is in perfect alinement, both horizontally and vertically, and bv moving the trowel in either direction, either forward or backward, and, at the same time letting the round nib slide on the ceiling or straight edge, and the bottom of the body slide on the guide strip fastened to the wall, then a perfect and true cornice is formed. For va' rious locations of cornices or molds in a room, such as when they are fastened to the wall only, it will be necessary to use a square nib which serves the same purpose as the round one, being square to correspond with the body portion when the body portion is pushed into the angle. It will be understood that these nibs may be fastened at any part of the blade.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the trowel. may be especially adapted for operation on doors, windows and the like, a detachable blade 22 being provided for cutting off the plaster in perfect alinement, for placing the inside casing boards flush with the plaster wall. This blade which is substantially right triangular fits along one face of the blade 8 and is detachably connected therewith in any suitable or desired manner, as, for instance, by the screw bolt 16 before mentioned. The hypotenuse edge of the auxiliary or detachable bladeis at the ornamental contour 13 of the blade 8, and the lower edge of the auxiliary or detachable blade is at the flange 5. It will be evident that by engaging one of the sides 3 with the inner face of the door frame, with the flange 5 lapping on the edge of the door frame, that edge of the auxiliary or detachable blade adjacent to the flange 5 will cut the plaster at the point desired. The flange 6 is especially adapted for use on doors and windows, as, for instance, to engage the p'arting strips or the shoulder against which the door abuts. v

It will be understood that when the blade 8 is used for cornice work the blade 22 is removed, this blade 22 being used only for leveling about door frames. In such leveling the bottom of the blade 22 is the cutting edge while in cornice work the edge 13 of the blade 8 is the cutting edge.

I claim:

1. A trowel or molding device comprising a body portion consisting of sections, each being a triangular open'frame and adapted to be placed with their hypotenuse sides adjacent, adjacent straight sides of the sections having handles and the other adjacent straight sides having extensions, a blade having series of slots at its lower edge adapted to be received between the hypotenuse sides of the body, bolts passing through the said sides and through the slots, and turn buckles arranged between the top of the blade and the first named straight sides for holding said blade rigid, that edge of the blade remote from the handles having a configuration on one edge thereof for forming a molding or cornice.

2. A trowel or molding device comprising a body portion consisting of sections, each being a triangular open frame and adapted to be placed with their hypotenuse sides adjacent, adjacent straight sides of the sections having handles and the other adjacent straight sides having extensions, a blade having series of slots at its lower edge adapted to be received between the hypotenuse sides of the body, bolts passing through the said sides and through theslots, and turn buckles arranged between the top ofthe blade and the first named straight sides for holding said blade rigid. v

3. A trowel or molding device comprising a body portion consisting ofsections, each being a triangular open frame and adapted to be placed with their hypotenuse sides adjacent, adjacent straight sides of the sections having handles and the other adjacent straight sides having extensions, a blade having series of slots at its lower edge adapted to be received between the hypotenuse sides of the body, and bolts passing through the said sides and through the slots. V

41-. A trowel or molding device comprising a substantially rectangular frame, a blade secured diagonally of the frame and projecting beyond one face thereof, and an auxiliary blade detachably connected to the first named blade and extending beyond the same at one corner of the frame.

. PETER L. FERGUSON.

Witnesses:

W. H. BRIDGES, M. CoLLANs. 

